• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

3/61 looking for new GM

5

50kguy

Anyone know what happened to Mark Higgins? His position is now posted.

Responsibility #11: bailing out a rapidly sinking ship!


Job Description: KTVK-3TV and KASW-CW6 are accepting applications for the position of General Manager.

GENERAL JOB DESCRIPTION:
Manages the Phoenix, Arizona duopoly and is responsible for the operating results of KTVK and KASW.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. Responsible for station operation and revenue goals
2. Provide leadership for the entire organization
3. Directly supervise the activities of department heads
4. Gather and analyze facts relating to station operational and competitive challenges
5. Determine course of action, or in appropriate cases, recommend such course of action to Belo in Dallas
6. Develop preliminary operating budgets and once final budgets have been set, oversee compliance with the dollar objectives that have been determined
7. Ensure that the stations are operated in accordance with company and FCC policies and regulations
8. Develop and maintain community leader contacts
9. Participate in community service activities
10. Other duties as determined
 
According to NewsBlues, Higgins resigned in mid-January. I don't know where he's going, but I have a feeling it won't be KAZT, even though he did work under Ron Bergamo for a short time at Channel 10. I think they have the confidence that Jeff Burnton will be the permanent bearer of the Bergamo legacy at AZ-TV, despite just coming on board as Sales Manager right before the tragic event.
 
Who(m)ever replaces Higgins, here's hoping he/she has the fortitude to make 3/61 into something worthwhile. 3 has been irrelevant since the big Murdoch fiasco that cratered the Phoenix market some years ago. 61 is a huge CW waste of time.
 
Channel 3 has been successful for a very long time. The mere fact they have survived without a network affiliation is pretty amazing and they should be commended for finding a good formula.

But... That formula is getting tired. I don't know if the strategy of filling prime time with Oprah and Dr. Phil is getting tired, but I do know their news strategy is frayed at the seams.

Years ago they struck gold with the Arizona's Family theme, and they still try to lure viewers with this sense that the 3TV crew are just like you and me. Except they're not like you and me. They are, for the most part, pert blondes. Just look at their joke of a billboard campaign: "The places with more news" with photos of nothing but blonde women. OK, I get it, guys want to watch cute chicks. Just don't insult my intelligence by calling it news.

Sure, the other stations have their problems. Channel 5 has learned that Kent Dana is just another anchor. I guess they really believed those Channel 12 promos that made it look like he invented TV news in Phoenix. Channel 15 has found a scandal under every rock and the world just shrugs. Channel 12 cribs from the Republic and the Republic does the same. Channel 10 has lots of sirens. And Channel 3 wants to remind us that Brittney Spears is a freak, but you can have great abs and nails!

AT LEAST 5, 10, 12 and 15 pretend to take some of this stuff seriously, but 3 - with the notable exception of Frank Camacho, and to an extent, Mike Watkiss - has totally lost its way.

Junk the sets with the primary colors. Ditch the happy talk and find a NEW niche for your news presentation. What Channel 3 is doing now is so 1997.
 
buster2 said:
Channel 3 has been successful for a very long time. The mere fact they have survived without a network affiliation is pretty amazing and they should be commended for finding a good formula.

Junk the sets with the primary colors. Ditch the happy talk and find a NEW niche for your news presentation. What Channel 3 is doing now is so 1997.
Click to expand...

Yep, 3TV's pm news needs some serious revamping. The curious thing is that they hired the hotshot ND from New Orleans' #1 station last year who was supposed to shake things up. Right? I haven't seen much happening so far.

3's probably afraid to change much in the am since they're still #1.

But I agree with you that it has been quite a feat to survive as long as they have without primetime network help but the times are a changin' and they need to also.
 
Channel 3 has several problems:

1. They are pretty much a women-only channel now. Despite the attractive news (and I use that term loosely)-babes, they gave up the guys (read: Half their potential audience) when they dropped the Diamondbacks after last season.

2. There are still good people there: Frank Camacho, Patti Kirkpatrick, Mike Watkiss, Bruce Haffner, & Royal Norman are among the best in the city - when they're allowed to be. Unfortunately, they're not allowed to be very often anymore. They have too many on-air people that clearly aren't yet ready for a major-market station. All decent folks from what I've heard, though. The problem isn't the people, other than the lack of experience of some of them - it's the presentation and what they call "news."

3. The sports department is a joke. Tom Schoendist, Ted Brown, & Gil Tyree, where are you when we need you? Brad Cesmat needs to go back to sports-talk radio where he belongs, and Ross Shima-whatshisname is just awful as a sports anchor. He seems like a nice guy, just not a "sports guy." Maybe he could be a feature reporter, possibly replacing Dan Davis on GMAZ should he ever decide to retire, but as a sportscaster, he just doesn't cut it. But then, women don't watch sports, do they? (OK, I'm just kidding there! ;D )

4. Dr. Phil's 15 minutes of fame are just about up. And not one minute too soon. They'd rather carry this garbage than the Diamondbacks?!?!? What'll they do once he's gone (hopefully by the end of the year, especially if he's indicted because of his interference in Brittney Spears' "problems," as he could be)?
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom